New Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial & MLK Day

[Lady Cop]

His statue has been 25 years in the making and is set to be unveiled on the very site where his most famous words inspired generations of Americans.

Now the long-awaited statue of Martin Luther King Jr has finally been revealed on the National Mall in Washington, DC, where the civil rights leader made his iconic 'I Have a Dream' address.

The giant 30ft statue - the first on the Mall to honor a non-U.S. president - sits in a direct line between existing memorials dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.

It was revealed during a low-key opening in the U.S. capital, ahead of a week of celebrations before Sunday's official dedication.

As well as the massive sculpture of Dr King himself, the memorial also features a 450ft-long granite wall inscribed with 14 of his most memorable quotations.